Top for tin cans.



E. NORTON.

TOP FOB TIN CANS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.5, 1907.

933,103, Patentd Sept. 7, 1909.

1 can that has UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN NORCEON, QF NEW YORK, N. Y.

'10'1" FOB TIN CANS.-

Patented Sept. '7, 1909.

Application flied October 5, 1907. semi no. 896,012.

933,103. s amemmrumrs rams.

To all whom it may concern:

able features, as an article of manufactureand sale, read to be applied to an unclosed een filled with some alimentary article and is in'rea'diness to be hermetically sealed in vacuum.

The can-top of this invention employs no cap but is a complete cover in one piece, and 2 is intended as a closure for that class of tin cans known as the open-top lock-seam can, which either has nosolder at all in the said lock-seam, or whatever solder may be used is applied to the seam on the outside.

The improved can-top which constitutes the subject-matter of the present invention, comprises a stamped tin-plate cover, without any opening except what is known as the vent-hole, having three features. first, 3 an outer double-seaming flange which is adapted to be united with a can-body by interlocking with an outward-turned flange laid off on the upper 'end of a can-body; said stamped-up cover also has. second, an ordinary vent-hole which however isprovided with a pierced disk of solder which latter is exposed on the upper side of the top in such position that the vent-hole through the tin-plate top and the pierced aperture 4 through the said disk of solder will be coincident, and together constitute one vent opening; and said cover also has, third, at its under side and below said vent opening, a vent-protector secured directly and permanently to the said cover or top without.

employing solder.

In the accompanyingdrawing which ill ustrates the inventionFigure 1 shows the up per surface of a can-top provided with a.

small dislc of solder that has an aperture forming the vent; this view shows the-a1) pearance of the completed can-top. Fig. 2 shows theund'er side or lower surface-of the same-can-top provided with a vent-protect- 5 ing disk; this view also shows the-completed can-top. Fig. 3 is a diametrical section of the one-piece can-top showing the formation of vent hole in the tin-plate. Fig. 4 is a like section of the can-top but'also shows the pierced solder disk in position at the' vent. Fig. 5 is a diametrical section of the cwn to p having both the pierced solder disk at the vent, and the vent-protector below said vent. This figure'shows the can-top in its completed condition as an article ready for use or sale to packers of canned goods. Fig. 6- is a bottom plan view of the vent-protecti-ng disk, separated from the can-top. Fig. 7 is a top view of the vent-protecting disk. Fig. 8' is a cross-section of same. Fig. 9 shows the appearance of the upper surface of a can-top after the solder disk has been fused to close the vent.-

The= can-top does not require the ordinary cap as it hasno filling opening; the raised-central circular part, 1, is integral with the rest of the'top and the wholetop comprises one piece; the slightly-raised circu'lar formation on the upper surface produces acavity, 2', on the lower surface, said cavity being bound ed by a ring-shaped ridgeor wall, 3, see Fig. 3. The can-top has around its rim a downward flange, l, and alsoan adjoining annular groove, 5, which are adapted to produce, whenumted with the open-end of a can-body, the well-known interlocking seam or joint. The top also has a downward indentation which latter has an open vent-hole, 6, and a suitable piece of solder is within said indentation but does not close the vent-hole. The solder is so attached that it will retain its osition until the time arrives for finally sea-aing the said vent-hole, 6', at which time the solder Wlll be fused and thereby the vent-hole closed. Inthe resent instance the vent-hole, 6, is provided on its exterior or upper side with a funnel-shaped disk of solder, 7, the funnel part of which fits within said indented venthole, 6, while the flat top circular rim, 8, of the solder rests closely down on the upper surface of the can-top. The funnel shaped disk of solder, 7, may be attached to its position by any suitable means, such as by the soft metal of'the funnel-shaped part, 7, engaging With the hard metal burs formed at the small part of the indented vent-hole, t). The point of the-funnel-shaped solder dlsk has an aperture which is'coincident with the vent-hole in the tin-plate and thus the air ing on, escapes through the aperture in the solder just previous to the said solder being fused to close the said vent-hole. The exhaust of the air and the fusing of the solder 5 to close the vent hole are effected in vacuum. It may be remarked that in practice the vent-hole, 6, is quite small, a very small aperture being sufiicient for the escape of the hot expanded air or pent-up gases under pressure. In can vents of this character experience has long since demonstrated that the fused solder will immediately close and fillthe small vent and remain therein and at once congeal.

A vent-hole protector, 9, is provided and secured permanently without the use of solder to the under side of the can-top and wholly within the marginal rim-edge. One object of this protector is to prevent the food contents of the filled can, during the process of exhausting air from said can in the vacuum machine from closing the vent hole. It is well-known that in processing certain alimentary substances, such for instance as meats and salmon and other fish,

which swell or expand, there is great liability of the said substances closing the vent hole throu h which the air is to be exhausted, especially when a vacuum is produced in the can by mechanical means. Various contrivances have been suggested and tried for this purpose but the devices referred to have either required solder for their attachment which is objectionable, or said devices have 5 had prongs or tangs which were secured to the rim of an ordinary cap, or said tangs were secured at the end-seam which fastened the top of the can to the body of the can,

ceiving any particles of solder of flux that.

are on the outside, and used to seal the venthole, and which when the fusing takes place may possibly pass from the outside through the vent-hole to the interior.

' The vent-hole protector by my invention is permanently attached to the can-top on its interior or lower side without solder, by the mechanical engagement of the metal of the protector with the metal of the can-top, thereby avoiding the use of solder. Furthermore the said enga ement of the metal of these two parts is effect-ed wholly within the marginal rim-edge of the can-top, whereby 00 there is an avoidance of all interference with the seam parts, and therefore leaks at such seams are unlikely The manner of effecting the permanent engagement of the vent-protector with the 5 top is shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawing. The vent-protector, 9, preferably has a circular form and size adapted to snugly fit within the ring-shaped ridge or bead, 3, on the lower'surface of the top. By suitable dies that part of the metal of the top which forms the ring-shaped ridge or bead is contracted so as to closely surround the rim of the protector, 9, and hold the latter in permanent engagement. 7 As the vent-protector is engaged with the can-top wholly within the circular rim-edge of the latter, the said protector will not interfere in any way with the formation of any seam which is necessary in uniting the said can-top to the can-body. The protector, in'the present instance, has in so its bottom a central depression, 10, which has position immediately below the vent-hole in the top; this depression will receive and hold any solder or flux that may happen to enter through the vent-hole at the time the solder s5 is fused to seal said hole. Thus the'protector serves the purpose of preventing the substance within the can from becoming contaminated by either solder or flux which may i enter at the vent hole. The protector is provided in its wall, 11, adjacent the circular rim, the several vent slits, 12, each slit be-. ing formed by breaking a round-pointed tang, 13, from the said wall of the protector;

the tangs are flattened so as to be in the same plane as the bottom of the protector. in the present instance there are three slits and three tangs; the round point of each tang,

13, projects and conceals the slit, and thereby the tangs serve to prevent the substance in the can from clogging or closing the said vent slits when subjected to the action of a vacuum machine. An indentation, 14, is made in each tang for the purpose of stifl'ening the metal composing the tang, and thereby prevent the tang from being bent. in

a way that might close the slit which the tang protects.

It will be understood that in the process, of exhausting the air from the can, by means of a vacuum receiver and pump, the air that may be in the can will pass through one or more of the vent slits, 12, in'the protector, I and then through the vent-hole in the to when the air has been exhausted and whlle 11 the can is in the vacuum receiver the solder, 7, will be fused to seal the vent-hole. The protector forms an air-space between the top and the protector-plate and incidentally serves another useful purpose, namely, to prevent the heat of the soldering iron, which is applied on the exterior to fuse the solder for closing the vent-hole, from reaching and injuring delicate substances, such as butter with which the can may be filled.

This improved top is adapted especially for cans in which the vacuum process is used in exhausting and sealing, whether the cans contain food, tobacco, paints or other substances.

The feature of a can-top provided with an indentation which has an open vent-hole, and a suitable piece of solder within said indentation but leaving the vent-hole open, and the solder temporarily attached, in order that any air that may be in a' can which has been closed by said top may escape, so that a hot iron for ti ping may be applied to fuse said piece of solder, and cause it to seal the vent hole, is believed to be new whether applied to a one-piece can-to or applied to the familiar cap used to c ose the fillin opening in a can-top. Such of the appende claims, therefore as relate to this particular feature are meant to cover the same whether applied to a one-piece top for cans or to a cap for closing the filling opening in cantops. I

Having thus described my invention what I claim is,

1. A tin-plate disk for closin v cans havin an indented vent-hole, and a unnel-shaped disk of solder corresponding in shape with said indented hole and fitted therein and said solder disk having an aperture.

2. As an article of manufacture, a can-top having a marginal edge-flan e for engaging the walls of a can-body, an provided with a rent-hole to relieve the internal pressure of a can; and a vent-hole protector plate which is below the said can-top and with a space betweenand is secured thereto by interlocking the metal of the protector plate and can-top wholly within the marginal edges of the latter.

3. As an article of manufacture, a disk for closing a can and having a central vent-hole and a ring-shaped head on the lower surface and concentric with said vent-hole and intermediate of the vent-hole and disk-rim, and a vent-hole protector plate having its ed interlocked with the said ring-shaped bead of the disk.

4. As an article of manufacture, a tin-can closure having a vent-hole with a bead concentric around said vent-hole; a vent-hole protector late at the under side of said closure an below its vent-hole, and the edge of the protector plate interlocked with the said concentric head of the closure, and forming an air-s ace between the closure and said protector p ate and the latter having in its circumferential rim a plurality of vent openings.

5. As an article of manufacture, a can-top having a marginal flange for engaging the wall of a can-body and provided with a central vent-hole; solder attached to the exface provided at its center with a depression below said flat surface.

7. A tin-plate disk for closing cans having a vent-hole and a circular plate secured to said disk below its vent-hole and having a circumferential wall with a vent-opening therein and a tang projecting over the said vent-opening.

8. A tin-plate disk for closing cans having a vent-hole and a circular plate secured to said disk below its vent-hole and having a circumferential wall with a vent-opemn therein and a tang projecting over the said vent-opening and provided with an indentation.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

EDWIN NORTON. .Witnesses:

FREDERICK A. IsnAM, E. I). VIALn. 

